[Event] Bestmed Jock Classic

[HOEKVLAG]

This will be my first Jock and the jitters have already started!

 

Any advice from the veteran Jockers?

Awesome race, but start slow. Don't underestimate any of the stages, they're all tough. If you still feel strong at the top of Long Tom hammer the last 50 km.

 

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

[Prince]

Beware of stage 2!

[shaper]

All registered and ready for the morning, will be in an old school "Molteni" bronze and blue jersey. .. say hi as we ride

[IceCreamMan]

Grrr like an idiot I left my racetec chip at home. Oh well, there is always strava. Not going to get another chip for one event.

 

Will be wearing black cervelo shirt, on an S3 red faced struggling for air.

 

However. I am looking forward to it. Looks like a mild start weather wise too..

[LOOK695]

Missing it this year unfortunately. Enjoy it guys

[IceCreamMan]

Advice for first timers. Don't do it

[mecheng89]

Congrats to all those who finished. Did it in 2016 and it was afk@k, very happy to miss it this year! 

[IceCreamMan]

Suffered from cramping from stage 2 which ruined my day a bit. Cried on long tom and pushed once or twice but got there.

 

Nice day out. Naaaa not really I shat bricks

 

The climbing is deceptive in Jock, it's concentrated in relatively short distances in each stage, so you might think it's only 900 meters in stage one as an example but 90 percent of it is in the last 18 kilometers. It's a sufferfest for us fatties

Edited July 15, 2017 by IceCreamMan

[IceCreamMan]

Great to meet you shaper

[Tristand]

It is not just the climbs, the decents are nerve wracking too.

[shaper]

Tough day but enjoyable, the legs are feeling it I think from mostly battling the strong headwind on stage 2, longtom is always a sucker punch on tired legs but after that had a great working group and we flew home!

 

Good to finally meet you ICM

[bobby]

Shees that Longtom had it in for me, sufferd all the way up.

 

but still had a good day 

[IceCreamMan]

Thought I would write a bit of ride report on the day and the event.

 

Entered the event about 2 months ago, need some challenges to keep me motivated during winter and after Ironman I needed a goal to work towards. My BIL had entered and gave me a heads up. I looked into the event and realized it was going to be arduous for me but what the hell ...right? Paid for the event and booked a hotel so there was no going back.

 

Drove down from JHB on the Friday afternoon. Had flu leading up to the event but felt well enough to take the start and see how it went. Registration was painless, literally a minute or 2. Then checked into the hotel. Going through my kit I relaised I had left my racetec chip at home and my iphone charger, oh well managed to borrow a charger at the hotel so one problem solved, they were fresh out of racetec chips though.

 

Set the alarm for 5 am , had a good nights sleep and went to lobby for a coffee and bumped into Shaper...small world. The first person I see is someone I had never met before, the power of the internet hey. Drove to the stadium for the start and realized its far colder than the weather app had said so had to dress up. Dropped my kit bag off and listened to ipod while waiting for the start.

 

Started at 07:15 and still cold enough to warrant long gloves and long shirt under my cycling kit. Cycled with the brother of Louis MEintjies with the CL group and we were making great time. Traffic was patient, no problems. At 22 km we were averaging close to 40 kays an hour. Then the hills started and the sun turned up the notches and I starting sweating like the proberbial. The next 18 or so km's to the end were a lekker warm up. Got to the end and felt lekker. Couple of cups of coffee, oily egg and bacon with a muffin and I was ready for stage 2. Took off the winter gear and looked forward to stage 2.

 

Stage 2 started and I hung with the fast kids for a while until the start of Spionskop( think its called that) and realized I would need to conserve energy here so let them go and having been so proud of the prisitine top 2 gears on my cassette which never were used before Saturday they were used extensively for the next 10 or kilometres. Started cramping too so eased off the power and just made my way to the top as best as I could. With the wind even the downhills were painful. I averaged around 20km/h for stage 2 to give an indication of the toughness of the stage. Eventually got to the laerskool in Sabie, had a lekker hamburger and chilled a bit, dreading the mighty long tom.

 

Stage 3 started at 13:45 and the first 7 kays were no problem then the cramps starting in ernest again...I ended up having to push my bike a bit to get my legs working. Saw some guys stop and withdraw and I must say I was tempted too but wtf. An A group refugee stopped close to me and we got chatting. He gave me a cramp blocker tab which I gratefully took. Never heard of these kind of things before so still learning. Eventually after much pain made it to the long tome turnoff and to the 12 km mark. That had taken me an hour or so. Then the road opened up and it was happy days. Still had a cramp or 2 which meant I had to walk a bit but the road and scenery were superb. Made the previous 100 kms worthwhile. Completed the next 50 km's in around 1:20. Got to the end, no fan fare no blonde girls welcoming me home, just a medal and the satisfaction of finishing. CErtianly the most difficult cycle I have ever done and I rate it more difficult than any of the ironman events I have done.

 

Drove back along the route to Sabie as I was staying over and there was still a number of guys out there. The last guy was around 15km from the end and this was around 16:50. I hope he made the cut off.

 

All in all a great event, I have only ridden motorbikes in the area before and one just twists the throttle and have no idea how steep the hills actually are. Its soul destroying coming round bends and just seeing more hill. Training in the cradle just does not prepare you for this.

[Underachiever]

Another Jock completed.  My 1st in a registered bunch, so the suffering was expected. Did better than expected after no high intensity training in many months. 

 

My opinion on the race organisation progress since 2014 - when I last competed.

 

Registration was a breeze, but I was surprised about how few people were around.  The much talked about price/ASG influence?

 

The breakfast after stage 1 was much better than I can remember - we used the school dining hall, and the breakfast was basic, but good, more than enough for everyone. 

 

The lunch at Sabie was also better than in 2014 - there were tables in the shade for the riders.  Lunch was good and I appreciated the dessert (ice cream & fruit salad)

 

The route - no complaints there!!!

 

The race is still expensive, but the shift towards rider comfort and good service was appreciated.

 

See you next year!!

[Li Mu Bai]

Uncompromising and brutal. And that's just getting out of the Vets neutral zone.

Tough event, really easy to "forget" and lose respect for the route.

And too much ice cream in the weeks leading in doesn't help either.

Still a good challenge and rewarding, but hard work.

had fun, i think...

[Vetplant]

Been keeping my eyes peeled for the entry portal to open for the Jock Classic, but alas, nothing yet. Entries opened for the previous installment in November 2016. Seeing that it is Feb already and entries are not open yet, does that mean the event is not happening this year?

 

Anybody with insider information that they can share to shed some light?